Dishwasher bi-metal fuse

In my two year old Kitchen Aid dishwasher (model KUDC03IVWH3) the bimetallic fuse keeps blowing. Can't seem to find the cause. Anyone have any ideas? Nothing else is wrong, all functions work as usual. Thanks for the help!

Advertisement

Is this a thermostat or a fuse? What does it look like? Part number? What happens when it goes? Current draws? Does it fail after a few months or immediately? Is it when you start a cycle?

Need to be more descriptive. Saying it "blows" and asking why could be a million things.

It's the bimetallic fuse. Diameter of a dime with two prongs coming off back for controls wires to attach. It's located in the top of the door on control panel. First on blew after 1.5 years, second one in two weeks of use. Seems to fail somewhere in mid-cycle of normal wash. Part number W10344801

Attached photo

Quote:

Originally Posted by D'Brie

It's the bimetallic fuse. Diameter of a dime with two prongs coming off back for controls wires to attach. It's located in the top of the door on control panel. First on blew after 1.5 years, second one in two weeks of use. Seems to fail somewhere in mid-cycle of normal wash. Part number W10344801

Here is an attached photo showing bimetallic fuse, panel and a jumper wire.

That looks like a thermal bi-metal. If it is in fact a fuse, then there has to be something causing high current draw during the cycle. The fact that it's not blowing right away or takes a few cycles would make me think it's possibly a motor or pump that has a hard time starting or a bad bearing. Check the manual with the unit, sometimes there is one behind the panel on the bottom, that should be able to tell you how to run a test cycle or test individual components. Then I would check current draw on each to see if any are higher than normal. Could also be a sticking relay on the board, but I think it would happen more often than that.

I have a whirlpool dishwaser that seems to be close to identical to the kitchen aid unit described above. I've been having the same issue. Bought the unit 2.5 years ago. Fuse kept blowing repeatedly. Initially they kept replacing the fuse under warranty. Then they replaced more electrical components and it was fine for around 2 years. Now the thing blew again this week.

I have a whirlpool dishwaser that seems to be close to identical to the kitchen aid unit described above.

Got rid of my whirlpool because of that. The last time it blew they gave me an after market extension wire kit to move the thermal fuse a little further away from the heat source. That lasted another year. I came to the conclusion that there was no fix for it other than keeping simply bypassing it all together... which is probably a little too unsafe to do.

That and numerous other bitter disappointments over the whirlpool machine, and I finally yanked and put in a Bosh machine. That solved the problem. Best machine I have EVER owned.

spade connectors on the switches get hot causing above normal amperage draw. The new kit will have new switches and a terminal block that the wires connect into rather than spade terminals

And you are referring to the spade connectors on the door switch or on the fuse itself? When the unit came back after the 3rd fuse failure I noticed that they changed some wiring (not on the door switch though) and they added 2 terminals that the fuse wires into, it still has spade connectors on the fuse though. Would you have more info on what needs to be replaced and what it looks like? Thanks for your help so far!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Sanders

Got rid of my whirlpool because of that. The last time it blew they gave me an after market extension wire kit to move the thermal fuse a little further away from the heat source.

This kit was already installed the last time it was in for service, but it failed again. I read somewhere that the location where the fuse gets placed is also critical as heat makes it trip. But there is only one location where it snaps in. I'm not sure how this could be corrected?

Back in 2013 you were saying something about the door switch needing to be replaced and that it was a known problem. Is this another issue that needs to be fixed? Would you have more info about this?

location has nothing to do with it. Never relocate a safety device unless manufacturer instruction tell you to do so. My advice would be since its lasted 2 years go ahead and put the kit on again. This has long been an issue with Whirlpool dishwashers. The other problems that could cause the failure are a temp sensor not working properly, the heating element drawing too much amperage (need to replace) or the motor drawing too much amperage.

Advertisement

__________________
................."I want a house that has gotten over all its troubles. I dont' want to spend the rest of life bringing up a young and inexperienced house"...........